Scout’s, a New American restaurant with Mediterranean influences, is slated to open this November in Midtown at 2704 Locust, the former Nexus space. Behind the concept are chefs Brandon Panosh and Elliott Brown (of The Biscuit Joint), joined by Will Rogers, who will serve as general manager after recently serving as food and beverage director at the 21C Hotel St. Louis.
Scout’s restaurant takes its name from Brown’s daughter. “I don’t have any kids,” Rogers says, “so I was joking that a future restaurant might have to be named after my dog. Roxie’s has a nice ring to it.”
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The veteran restaurateur filled us in on more salient details of the restaurant.
How did the three of you join forces? We all worked at The Last Hotel—Elliott as sous chef, I was GM, and Brandon came later. Over lunch at The Biscuit Joint, I told Elliott I’d love to help if he opened another restaurant, mainly as a consultant. The next day, he called with a possible space, and it all came together in a bigger way. Pending a liquor license, we’re aiming to open November 5, pending the arrival of the liquor license, but we may do some pre-dinners before that time, similar to the chefs’ Dinner at The Loft pop-ups, either BYOB or using a bar service. Brandon, by the way, is one of the most thoughtful cooks I’ve ever worked with—every detail is intentional, even how he holds a spoon. I wish that our kitchen was more open, so people could bask in how well he puts a plate together.
What makes your partnership different? It’s built on shared values of hospitality and family. We agree on how to treat staff—with respect and unity, like a strong sports team. Even I was inspired by Elliott, and I’ve been preaching these beliefs my whole professional life.
Take us on tour of Scout’s. Walk us through the place. I love the entrance up the stairs because it brings you to another place. Immediately, you encounter a dramatic 10-seat bar, where the focus is classically made—not batched—cocktails. Carson Bush, who I worked with at the 21c, will head up the beverage program. He is absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best bartender in St. Louis. The bar vibe can be compared to coming into someone’s living room, where you enjoy the selections that have been presented to you. For Carson, Scout’s is less of job and more of a passion project. All of his cocktails tell a story, and he’ll inform consumers on what Scout’s is about by telling them. He’ll prepare cocktails from high-end spirits at a curated bar, with limited spirit options and juices and lemonade squeezed by hand.
How will Scout’s address low-alcohol and no-alcohol cocktails? They’re essential and especially important to the partners who choose not to drink. Carson will create nonalcoholic versions of all eight spirited cocktails. For beer, we’ll stick to Athletic’s Upside Dawn, because it’s the best one out there.
How did you choose the color palette and décor for Scout’s? The iron ore-colored walls and the cinnamon ceiling play off of the color of the exposed brick. We’re adding black-and-white photography and possibly murals above the fireplaces. David Stine is making all but one of the tables from hickory trees cut on his property, showing the different color tones of that hardwood. The other is the well-traveled table Elliott and Brandon used for their Dinner at The Loft pop-ups as a nod to their roots. They’ve taken this table apart and put it back together maybe a hundred times doing those events in people’s homes. They won’t have to do that anymore.
What’s the seating capacity? About 64 inside, plus 22 on a covered patio out back we’re calling The Backyard, adjacent to Blue Jay Brewing’s larger patio. Each space—the bar, dining room, larger kitchen-adjacent tables, and outside space—offers a distinct experience.
Talk about that. What’s the service model? Full service with paper menus, no QR codes. Elliott will work the expo line, Brandon the back, and I’ll serve as maître d,’ so all three partners will be present at dinner. Brunch and lunch will follow in later phases.
How many nights will Scout’s be open? Thursday through Monday. We’ll close Tuesdays and Wednesdays to give the whole team the same days off, which is something Elliott led the charge on. Doing so incorporates the ideas of home and family, the style of cooking, and sitting at shared communal tables like they did at Dinners at The Loft.
What role will hospitality play? It’s everything. We want the experience to feel like dining in someone’s home. I’ll greet each guest personally and ensure they leave happy. My philosophy—rooted in Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table—is to treat everyone, even the toughest guest, like we’re best friends. I remember being told to treat everybody like Uncle Herb. He’s the last guy you want to show up at your house, a guy who does nothing but complain, and everybody’s glad when he leaves. We’ll have Uncle Herb’s favorite drink ready for him when he arrives, and treat him like he’s the most important person in the room. I’ve tried hard to do that for the last 27 years.
What’s on the menu? We’re calling it New American, with Mediterranean influences, but all dishes will be vegetable-forward. Our market steak, for example, will be a marinated flank steak, because it’s a cut we all really enjoy, and we served it at a summer tasting with big medley of squash, corn, and tomato.
Will the menu format be standard apps, entrées, and desserts? No. Think snacks, boards, small plates, larger plates, pastas, and desserts. If you want to come in before a show and have something light, we can cater to that. If you want a proper three-course dinner, you’re covered. If your party wants to share a bunch of dishes, that’s fine, too. We feel it’s important to cater to all three dining styles.
What are some examples of the featured dishes? Snacks might be burrata, fried artichokes, or hummus. Small plates might include a chopped salad, Missouri mushrooms, grilled cabbage, and harissa carrots. Large plates could be a pork chop, half chicken, fresh seafood, and rotating nightly specials, which to us means they’re different every time you come in. Pastas we like include riccioli Bolognese and cavatelli with crab, Calabrian chili, and preserved lemon.
How and where will the menu items be sourced? I call it “mindfully sourced food.” As a chef, you have decisions to make: Do you buy the best food, the cheapest food, only local, only organic, and so on? Somewhere in the middle is mindfully sourced. It means offering local peaches and tomatoes only while they’re in season. When it makes sense to use local farmers or organic products, we will. There are no hard and fast rules for mindfully sourced food, but for us the choice is deliberate and intentional.
How do you approach seafood? Salmon, which you must have on your menu, is a good example. At the end of the day, Pacific salmon is better than Atlantic salmon. And wild-caught is preferable to farm-raised, in our opinion, so we, as mindfully sourcing operators, have to make those choices.
Have there been discussion of future plans? Another Biscuit Joint is an option. Or a pizza joint. Or a bagel joint. So possibly four joints. For larger restaurants, it’ll be whatever cuisine and neighborhood speaks to us. Restaurants don’t make it when they are forced.
How did you end up on Locust Street in Midtown? We took inspiration from local chefs like Gerard Craft, Kevin Nashan, and Ben Poremba, who built thriving spots in unexpected neighborhoods. We would like to be part of that conversation. An up-and-coming part of Midtown felt like the right place to start.
